168 THE SEVEN FOLLIES OF SCIENCE 



somewhat less than $15,000,000,000, and the last payment 

 would amount to fifteen hundred times that immense sum. 



The French have a proverb that " it is the first step 

 that costs" (dest le premier pas qui coute] but in this case 

 it is the last step that costs and it costs with a vengeance. 



While on this subject let me suggest to my readers to 

 figure up the amount of which they will be possessed if 

 they will begin at fifteen years of age and save ten cents 

 per week for sixty years, depositing the money in a savings 

 bank as often as it reaches the amount required for a 

 deposit, and adding the interest every six months. Most 

 persons will be suprised at the result. 



THE ACTUAL COST AND PRESENT VALUE OF 

 THE FIRST FOLIO SHAKESPEARE 



EVEN years after the death of Shakespeare, his 

 collected works were published in a large folio 

 volume, now known as " The First Folio 

 Shakespeare." This was in the year 1623. 

 The price at which the volume was originally sold was 

 one pound, but perhaps we ought to take into consideration 

 the fact that at that time money had a value, or purchasing 

 power, at least eight times that which it has at present ; 

 Halliwell-Phillips estimates it at from twelve to twenty 

 times its present value. For this circumstance, however, 

 full allowance may be made by multiplying the ultimate 

 result by the proper number. 



This folio is regarded as the most valuable printed book 

 in the English language the last copy that was offered 



